The invention is generally directed to the encoding of digitized biometric information by converting the digital data of the biometric information (or a template of such biometric information) as a symbol that includes a rectangular or two-dimensional (2D) array of data cells that is electronically stored as loaded onto a portable memory device, such as any portable hard drive, flash memory device, or other memory device capable of retrievably storing digital information, such as in particular, a mobile Universal Serial Bus (USB) device. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the memory device further includes a biometric reader for storing the digital information that it creates from capturing biometric information directly into the memory device.
Conventionally it is know to have portable fingerprint readers that may be coupled to a computer or other hardware through a USB connector or the like. Such fingerprint readers are conventionally used to provide security for access of information stored on the computer or other hardware to which it is connected. Often, it may be desirable to have security on a portable memory device. Further, it may be desirable to have a fingerprint reader or other biometric device coupled to a memory device that stores a template of a fingerprint or other biometric identifier in a data representation that may be converted to a two-dimensional array symbol.
The techniques herein below extend to those embodiments which fall within the scope of the appended claims, regardless of whether they accomplish one or more of the above-mentioned needs.